•The rain delay in Wednesday's Giants-Cardinals playoff game wreaked havoc on "The X Factor." When viewers here tuned in to see who made the Top 16, they got an unscheduled rerun instead. Folks on the East Coast had it worse. They watched an hour of the new episode before it abruptly cut off.

Everyone will see the entire episode next week. If you want to be surprised by the outcome, be careful what you read, because the finalists for the teen and over-25 teams were revealed. No one saw Simon Cowell's choices, so I have no spoilers on the fate of Orange County's own Emblem3 or Dinah Jane Hansen of LYLAS.

When the live episodes of "The X Factor" begin Nov. 1 – assuming this fiasco doesn't push them back – they will be hosted by Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom. Because we don't have enough Kardashian on our TVs already.

•Meanwhile, over at "The Voice," Mission Viejo teen Kayla Nevarez won her battle round against fellow 17-year-old Alessandra Guercio. That means Kayla advances to the live rounds.

•Jessica Sanchez, runner-up on the latest season of "American Idol," is moving from reality TV to unreality TV: She will be doing a stint this season on "Glee." We don't have the details yet on her role, but the Watcher assumes she'll be playing a middle-school character. At 17, Jessica is about a decade too young to play a high-schooler on television.

•The latest in my never-ending rant about open-ended series: ABC's "Last Resort" drew fewer than 7 million viewers to last week's episode, making it certain to be cancelled. That means viewers either will lose the series mid-story or be treated to a slapdash ending like we got with "Awake." "Last Resort" should have been designed for 13 episodes.

•Apparently, the Watcher wasn't the only person in America to find "Nashville" far less than advertised. The ratings declined by a third between episodes one and two. If you're a fan, don't worry yet. ABC still has to cancel "666 Park Ave." and "Last Resort" first.

•The CW is having an identity crisis. The network's comic-book adventures are on the rise, while its once-staple soap operas are circling the drain. "Vampire Diaries" is its top-rated show; "Gossip Girl" and "90210" are on the bottom. Its hottest new series are "Arrow" and "Beauty and the Beast," while "Emily Owens, M.D." flopped in its premiere.

•We'll leave it to the voters to decide who won, but Tuesday's presidential debate was the most entertaining ever. Moderator Candy Crowley should have worn a striped shirt and a whistle.

•The third season of "Downton Abbey" won't run on PBS until later this year, but it's currently showing in Great Britain on the BBC. Are you one of those fans who is finding a way to watch the episodes now? If so, the Watcher wants to talk to you. Drop me an email at ocrwatcher@gmail.com.

•This is the last time you'll read my column on Friday. But don't worry, you'll still have the Watcher to kick around. Starting Oct. 28, this column will run on Sundays. And you'll be reading a lot more from me throughout the week, as the Register expands its television coverage.

THE WATCHER'S TOP 10

What the Watcher is watching this week.

1. "Sons of Anarchy" (FX, Tuesday) – Jax back in charge

2. "Survivor: Philippines" (CBS, Wednesday) – A whole new game

3. "Dexter" (Showtime, Sunday) – Dex helps Deb

4. "Homeland" (Showtime, Sunday) – Brody runs into Carrie

5. "Modern Family" (ABC Wednesday) – Halloween extravaganza

6. "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO, Sunday) – Nucky in D.C.

7. "The Amazing Race" (CBS, Sunday) – Rat collecting

8. "The Mindy Project" (Fox, Tuesday) – Best new series?

9. "Revolution" (NBC, Monday) – Best new series?

10. "The Girl" (HBO, Saturday) – Hitchcock and Hedren

Contact the writer: Write me at ocrwatcher@gmail.com. To read more, visit pedrowatcher.ocregister.com. Follow the Watcher on Twitter @WatcherofTV and on Facebook (The Watcher).

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